SAARC standing committee meeting kicks off

New Delhi, Dec 5: The two-day standing committee meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began here today.

The standing committee comprising foreign secretaries of the member countries will draft a report ahead of the Foreign Ministers' meet later in the week.

The SAARC Council of Ministers (Foreign Ministers of SAARC nations) will meet on December 7 and 8. Such meetings are held after every six months of the SAARC Summit.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers will review the implementation of decisions taken at the last summit in New Delhi and will review economic, social and cultural cooperation among SAARC countries in the context of the Delhi Declaration.

Ratification of agreements, poverty alleviation, social charter and issues of visas exemptions will also come under discussion.

The SAARC council of ministers will also set the tone for the next SAARC Summit, scheduled to be held in the Maldives.